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Theodore Roosevelt, President

One of the best first-hand accounts of the inauguration was written by Ansley Wilcox, a friend of Roosevelt, and occupant of the home where the inauguration took place. As such, Wilcox was uniquely positioned to witness events surrounding Roosevelt's actions in Buffalo, including the inauguration itself.

Wilcox wrote his account in November of 1902 to benefit the Buffalo School Teachers Retirement Fund. In a 1905 letter to Andrew Langdon (then president of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society), Wilcox related that a draft of the document had been reviewed and approved by Roosevelt for accuracy. Wilcox declared "The paper, therefore, forms an accurate and authoritative record" of the events surrounding Roosevelt's 1901 inauguration.